Summer Daze
School’s out and there’s plenty of summer left to soak up, even if you’ve not got a child or three to entertain. Buzz rounds up the best things to do as summer hits peak season.
Compiled by Elishia Davies, Ross Dawson, Emily D’Souza and Filiz Mehmedova
Family-Friendly
The Reluctant Dragon
Oystermouth Castle, Mumbles, Swansea
Thurs 9 Aug
For those wanting to enjoy a bit of theatre in the sun, The Reluctant Dragon promises to be a great day out by the seaside. The new adaptation by Michael Whitmore retells the classic tale about friendship, bravery and courage. In the classic story, a young boy has to come up with a plan to save his poetry-loving dragon friend from the townsfolk – this time it’ll be all the more magical for being in the grounds of the 12th century Oystermouth Castle.
Tickets: £7/£6/£20 family. Info: www.enjoyswanseabay.com
Cardiff Miniature Railway Open Day
Heath Park, Cardiff
Sun 26 + Mon 27 Aug
The Heath Park Miniature Railway & Tramway, situated at the old Heath house, runs once a month every Sunday and on several bank holiday Mondays. During the long weekend you can hop on steam trains, diesels and trams and take an enjoyable ride with the whole family. The railway is also well-equipped with train stations, bridges and multiple tracks. There are also refreshment facilities and a spacious picnic area available developed for the benefit of all visitors. Regular bus services operate from the city centre to Heath hospital and the miniature railway parkland is a short walk away from there.
Admission: entry £1.80 + £1.80 ride/free under-3s. Info: www.familiesonline.co.uk
Jurassic Kingdom: Where Dinosaurs Come to Life
Bute Park, Cardiff. Sat 11-Fri 17 Aug
For a limited time, dinosaurs will run riot through Bute Park, taking Cardiff back into the prehistoric era. Dinosaurs weren’t such a huge sight on the radar of popular culture 30 years ago, before Jurassic Park, but now we have festivals where children are able to ogle at eerily real-looking ones like they’re at the zoo.
Jurassic Kingdom is a travelling event that features life-sized replicas of dinosaurs. Not only are they huge in size, but interactive, making the experience all the more genuine. For the little prodigies dreaming of becoming paleontologists, an excavation area will be ready for some serious bone-digging to get them hard at work. After a wander around Jurassic Kingdom, a variety of food and drinks are available to keep explorers satisfied – the perfect way to relax after escaping the wrath of the raptors.
Tickets: from £11.50. Info: www.jurassickingdom.uk
FESTIVALS
Festival No. 6
Portmeirion, north Wales, Thurs 6-Sun 9 Sept
Nestled in the nooks and coves along the Dwyryd Estuary sits the Italianate village of Portmeirion, famed for its eccentric architecture, and place in television history as the set of The Prisoner. For the seventh year running (prior to taking a one-year break in 2019), Festival No. 6 will transform the area into a riot of colour and sound.
Headlining in the fields of Castell Park this year will be samba, synths, and snake-hips from Friendly Fires, post-punk 80’s electronica from The The, and a Sunday closing set from Scot art-rock heroes Franz Ferdinand.
Down in the Central Piazza itself, the mornings often begin with novel pursuits such as the daily game of Human Chess, or encounters with one of the troupes of roaming performers, musicians, and storytellers. The stage this year welcomes a variety of guests, including often sobering talks with eminent figures such as Helen Pankhurst, Irish author Eimear McBride, and journalist Carole Cadwalladr, known for her work highlighting the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Elsewhere, a highlight is the Village Limits, which features a lake with a floating dancefloor, overlooked by DJs in a Chinese pagoda. Beyond the music, there are many curiosities to explore, from picturesque estuary views, morning runs, and den-building sessions and nature trails for kids.
With diverse, well-selected programming, and a stunning location and backdrop, Festival No. 6 looks set once again to be a charmer of a weekend as the season draws to a close.
Tickets: from £180 (weekend)/ £69 (day). Info: www.festivalnumber6.com
Castell Roc
Chepstow Castle, Thurs 16 Aug-Sun 2 Sept
Known for its wide variety of shows and relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere, Castell Roc offers plenty of events catering for all tastes in the stunning, intimate setting of Chepstow Castle. This year’s line-up includes Alabama 3 as well as The Magic Of Motown, back due to popular demand, paying tribute to Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and The Four Tops to name a few. The Dualers, a nine-piece Jamaican R&B band, also join the lineup, along with tributes to George Michael and Prince plus Craig Charles’ Funk And Soul Club.
Tickets: varies. Info: castellroc.co.uk
Pride Cymru
City Hall Lawns, Cardiff, Fri 24-Sun 26 Aug
This year’s Pride Cymru’s Biggest Weekend sees a mashup of Pride Cymru and Cardiff’s Big Weekend. The Pride 2018 lineup is complete with X Factor’s Saara Aalto and Derrick Barry as Britney Spears, known for competing in America’s Got Talent and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Other perfomers include a DJ set from Flip ‘N’ Fill, Laura Bannon from The Voice, Sonique, and The Sundaes from BBC’s All Together Now. Not to forget, there will be the well awaited annual parade on Sat 25 – 10,000 people walk a mile-long route across Cardiff, with everyone actively encouraged to join the march against LGBT discrimination.
Tickets: £5 per day/£20 VIP. Info: www.pridecymru.co.uk/
Eisteddfod
Cardiff Bay, Sat 4-Sat 11 Aug
Held in a different location each year, the 2018 Eisteddfod will return to the capital in Cardiff Bay, with many of the concerts happening in Wales Millennium Centre. Half of this year’s concerts have already sold out, but remaining are Y Siwper Stomp! – a poetry competition with the audience in charge – Pendevig, a unique combination of Welsh bands with jazz, funk and drum’n’bass, and Cymanfa Ganu, a morning of congregational singing. There will be a number of villages around the Maes, the main Eisteddfod site, including food, drama, literature and, for over 16s, Maes B, featuring late night performances by 20 established Welsh language bands. Cardiff Bay is sure to be a perfect location for such a family-focused event like the Eisteddfod, celebrating everything great about Welsh culture, with enough going on for everyone to enjoy.
Prices: £60 full week/£10 per day/free under-16s. Info: eisteddfod.wales/2018-eisteddfod
The Big Cwtch Festival
Crugybar, Carmarthen, Fri 31 Aug + Sat 1 Sept
The clue is in the name – The Big Cwtch is the equivalent of a Welsh hug in the form of a charity music festival. The event promises to be intimate with acoustic sets and street food stalls. Headlining this year are Martyn Joseph and Into The Ark, while joining them on a lineup of breakthrough Welsh artists are, to name a few, HMS Morris, The Moon Birds and Nia Wyn. This year, The Big Cwtch are proud to be raising money for Ski4All Wales, enabling adults with disability to ski as part of their rehabilitation.
Tickets: £30-£50. Info: www.thebigcwtch.com
Between the Trees
Candleston Campsite, Bridgend, Fri 31 Aug – Sun 2 Sept
Channelling the ethos of Welsh festivals such as Green Man, Between The Trees is as much a celebration of the arts as it is a re-connection with the natural world. The festival brings together a mosaic of different artistic styles. Natural science, too, is essential for the festival’s foundation, with its not-for-profit ethos distilling through every facet of its organisation. The festival aims to bridge the gap between ages, with a focus on rec-connecting younger generations with the meditative power of woodlands. The community-first set-up hopes to facilitate discussions on art, Wales, naturalism and environmental impact. There’s lots to explore, especially with the festival running parallel to one of Wales’ Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Merthyr Mawr. The organisers have taken special care to add hidden dens and magic-infused forest areas for children and wannabe druids. In terms of music, the line-up is made up of contemporary folk, Americana and acoustic-based genres, offering a decent amount of variation between the established and the new. More than anything, Between The Trees is a concerted effort to re-introduce the regressing flora and fauna of Wales to those who have lost it, and, they hope, with this re-connected, will come newfound empathy in the form of conservation.
Tickets: weekend tickets are sold out, but day tickets vary from £10 to £25 (adult) and £5 to £12.50 (child). Info: www.betweenthetreesfestival.co.uk
FOOD & DRINK
Sea 2 Shore Food Festival
Aberystwyth Promenade, Sun 12 Aug
One for the seafood lovers out there, with plenty of local seafood and paellas to aquariums with local fish for the kids to see. The annual event offers food stands including local cheese, fresh vegetables, meat delicacies and plenty of desserts. You can have a bite, watch a cookery demonstration and get your grocery shopping for dinner. The festival also offers a variety of interesting activities for your children, including wall climbing, paddling and catching crabs.
Admission: Free. Info: www.cardigan-bay.com
The Summer Feastival
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Fri 17 Aug-Sun 9 Sept
What do Thai food, Indian curries, Greek kebabs and fried chicken have in common? They’re all going to be showcased in Sophia Gardens this summer as part of an exciting new street food festival. Cooked by a coterie of award-winning vendors, the food will be anything but ordinary and with stalls changing weekly, foodies can test their dedication and see how many different dishes they can try before the event ends. With added entertainment on offer, this feastival will definitely attract plentiful attention and we haven’t even mentioned the craft beer and cocktail bar that will be open throughout.
Admission: free. Info: www.depotcardiff.com
Summer Spirits Festival
Tramshed, Cardiff, Sat 25 Aug
The Tramshed hosts the arrival of – it’s claimed – the first UK festival to offer multiple spirit tastings, including gin, rum, tequila and mezcal. The day promises to be relaxing, not only because of the £5 cocktails, but also because it’s full of world street food, live entertainment, cocktail demonstrations/masterclasses and brand ambassador talks from industry professionals. There will be a complimentary glass on arrival, with over 100 brands featured on the day.
Tickets: £17.50/£15. Info: tramshedcardiff.com
Swansea Bay Beer and Cider Festival
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, Thurs 23-Sat 25 Aug
For their 32nd annual festival, Swansea CAMRA are bringing more than 100 real ales and 50 ciders to their Beer And Cider Festival, with the addition of a small range of real lagers within the beer range. Their two main sponsors this year include, for the first time, Grey Trees, who are recent serial Gold Medal winners for the competition, and Gower Brewery, who will be supplying their infamous Gower Gold plentifully. South Wales has seen an influx of microbreweries recently, so the festival, along with its promise of food and live music, is the perfect excuse to celebrate them.
Tickets: £3 members, £5 non-members. Info: swanseacamra.org.uk/2018-beer-and-cider-festival
SPORTS
Cardiff Devils
Ice Arena Wales, Cardiff, throughout the month.
The Elite League doesn’t kick off until the beginning of September, but for the Cardiff Devils, their season begins a lot sooner. After finishing at the top of the table for a second consecutive year, the Devils have earned themselves a place on the biggest stage in European Ice Hockey, the Champions Hockey League. Andrew Lord and his men finished bottom of Group E in their inaugural campaign last year, but are confident they can do better this time out. The Devils return to action with a run of pre-season games against the Nottingham Panthers (Sat 11 + Sun 12 Aug), HK Poprad from Slovakia (Sat 18 + Sun 19), and Coventry Blaze (Sat 25 + Sun 26), before welcoming Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg to Ice Arena Wales on Thurs 30 Aug in their first CHL game of the season, followed by Switzerland’s SC Bern on Sat 1 Sept.
Tickets: £16-£19. Info: www.cardiffdevils.com
World Bog-Snorkelling Championship
Waen Rhyd bog, Llantwrtyd Wells, Sun 26 Aug
Most might think of better places to go snorkelling in the middle of summer than a boggy river in Llanwrtyd Wells, but not the participants in the World Bog Snorkelling Championships. Hundreds of competitors are expected to take part as the competition enters its 33rd year, all fighting for the right to become known as the world’s best at swimming in mud-infested waters. If you’re not completely sold on taking part in the competition itself then fear not, there will be food and drink stalls along with real ale and cider on site to keep you occupied throughout the day.
Entry: £15/spectators free. Info: www.green-events.co.uk
Extreme Sailing Series
Cardiff Bay, Fri 24-Mon 27 Aug
More often than not, the only taste of excitement the tame waters of Cardiff Bay get is of the Aquabus taking passengers to Bute Park. This month, however, strap yourselves in for some exhilarating aqua sport action as the Extreme Sailing Series returns to Cardiff this August bank holiday weekend. The event features a free-to-enter fanzone that offers front-row seats to the action along and a whole host of onshore events, including storytelling, arts, crafts, and more as part of the weekend-long festival. The 2018 Extreme Sailing season comes to an end in Cardiff, with the 2018 champion to be decided on the day.
Admission: free. Info: www.extremesailingseries.com
RNLI Mumbles Raft Race
Mumbles, Swansea, Sun 5 Aug
Every year this annual race raises over £15,000 for Royal National Lifeboat Institution, who save lives at sea by providing a 24-hour rescue service. The race starts at 5pm on the Mumbles Shoreline and you can cheer on your favourite teams as they paddle furiously to victory, completing the course from Norton to Knab Rock.
Admission: free. Info: www.enjoyswanseabay.com
Fat-Biking
Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes, Bridgend County
A new craze, fat-biking, allows you to cycle through the sand dunes of south Wales’ answer to the Sahara Desert, covering over 800 acres of Welsh landscape. These dunes are some of the tallest in northern Europe and can boast being the filming location for the Oscar-winning Lawrence Of Arabia (impressive for Bridgend, hey?). Tours are led by Corum Champion from Porthcawl Bike Hire, for either a half or full day. Fat-biking is a fun, completely unique and action-packed way of exploring Bridgend County on a summers day.
Prices: tours £55-£70; hire £10-£35. Info: www.porthcawlbikehire.co.uk